Joseph Isador Lieberman was born in 1942. His father was a real estate broker, and sold alcohol; however, Lieberman always refers to his father as a baker. His grandmother was very influential in his upbringing as a traditional Orthodox Jew.
Lieberman attended public schools, and then Yale University where he received his bachelor's degree in 1964, and his law degree in 1967. He was on the staff of the university's student newspaper, and was known for being very serious and pious.
Lieberman in the Senate . While at Yale, Lieberman worked in the office of the Connecticut State Senator during the summers. Concerned with civil rights, he participated in the March on Washington led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
After earning his law degree, Lieberman practiced law for three years in New Haven. In 1969, he successfully ran for the State Senate after mobilizing Yale students to vote for him. One of those students was Bill Clinton who served as one of his campaign volunteers.
In 1970, Lieberman began his ten-year term as a State Senator. During the last six years, he served as Majority Leader as well. In 1980, he decided to resign his seat in order to run for the Connecticut State seat in Congress, but he was unsuccessful.
During Lieberman's time in the State Senate, his marriage to Betty Haas fell apart and they divorced in 1981.
Lieberman as Attorney
General . Returning to the practice of law, Lieberman decided in 1982 to run for the office of Connecticut Attorney General. During his election campaign, he married his current wife, Hadassah, who was a close friend in both the political and religious arenas. Hadassah had a son from a previous marriage.
In 1986, Lieberman was reelected for a second term. In 1988, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate by just a 10,000-vote margin. However, in 1994, he made history in the biggest landslide victory ever in a Connecticut race for the Senate, beating his opponent by more than 350,000 votes.
Lieberman and Gore Do Not Agree on
Everything . As a U. S. Senator, Joe Lieberman has earned a reputation as a thoughtful, effective legislator, and an avowed advocate for many ethical and cultural issues. Although he is a liberal, he has often established a distinct line between his views and those of his other Party members, earning due respect from Democrats and Republicans alike.
Some commentators believe that Lieberman's popularity is strengthening support for Al Gore.
Lieberman supports the Democratic Party in a tax increase, respect for civil rights, arms control, consumer rights and abortion. He is pro-environment and pro-nuclear regulation. However, his stance on military spending is closer to that of the Republicans.
Lieberman differs with Al Gore on several issues - supporting government subsidies to private schools and tax cuts on capital gains made by investors, and opposing a greater investment into the social security program. He also departs from traditional Democratic views on issues such as defense spending and violence in the media. His criticism against movies containing sex and violence has alienated Hollywood filmmakers who do not wish to see him elected as vice-president.
Loyalty to Ethics and Social
Principles . Lieberman is considered to be the strongest supporter of family ethics and social principles among the November election candidates. He led the Democrats who criticized Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky case, and is an activist against lewd songs and movies. He created the " Silver Sewer Award" for the most immoral of artistic production, inciting Hollywood against him.
Lieberman supported boosting U.S. intervention in the Gulf War by lifting the arms embargo on Bosnia and sending in U.S. forces. He also supported the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia.
Interweaving Religion and
Politics . One of Lieberman's characteristics is his ability to interweave politics with religion and spiritualism. Proud to be devout in a country built upon a separation between religion and state, he attends Saturday services. In accordance with Orthodox Jewish beliefs, he never leaves home on the Sabbath for any other reason than to go to the Senate, walking miles from his home.
Lieberman's respect for his own religion makes him respect that of others as well. His commitment to the preservation of spiritual and social ethics has earned him the name, the "Senate's voice of conscience." However, as mentioned by Newsweek, his ethical character has not prevented him from employing tactical skills and ideological flexibility to beat his election opponents.
During his political career, he has headed several committees in the Senate: Small Armed Services; Environment and Public Works; Government Affairs (RMM); and Small Business. He has led Democratic efforts to promote inventiveness, and an American conscience and voice that surpasses party loyalty.
Lieberman is the author of five books: on civil
service, disarmament, the political history of Connecticut, and the
financial rights of children over their families.
